Modernize your strategy management with Quantive StrategyAI - now generally available.

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So, you’re looking for a solution to manage your company’s OKRs. &nbsp;It’s a big undertaking — and we’re here to help.Whether you’re a <a href="https://quantive.com/resources/articles/okrs-in-business" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">startup, SMB, or enterprise</a>, the <a href="https://quantive.com/resources/articles/okr-software" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">right OKR software</a> will support the way you do OKRs. It should be easy to use, help everyone see their contributions and goal commitments, and facilitate a frictionless OKR process across your whole organization.&nbsp;With the right OKR software, you should be able to:<ul><li>Create and manage OKRs</li><li>Do the OKR work</li><li>Track and report on progress</li><li>Manage users and your organization</li><li>Support app and data integrations</li><li>Understand service and support options</li><li>Evaluate security options</li></ul>We’ll cover what each capability means and help you ask the right questions so you can learn your non-negotiables, get the features you need most, and ultimately choose the right provider for your unique OKR journey.<hr>Don't have time to read the full article now? <a href="https://info.quantive.com/hubfs/Quantive_Guides/OKR_Software_Buyers_Guide.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Download the pdf</a> and save for later.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><a href="https://info.quantive.com/hubfs/Quantive_Guides/OKR_Software_Buyers_Guide.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/gtmhub/image/upload/v1670538172/site-v5/Buyers_guide_39278b0979.png" alt="Buyers guide.png"></a></figure><hr>

OKR software should support the <a href="https://quantive.com/resources/articles/okr-meaning" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">OKR framework</a> within its design and features. When the creation and management capabilities of an OKR platform are intuitive, flexible, and work at scale, the process can run smoothly, helping everyone stay aligned and informed without constant oversight.&nbsp;For example, consider the ability to organize the OKR cycle to best fit your organization. This involves different sessions, cadences, and levels to support your unique execution needs. If your company is like many other modern organizations shifting towards shared OKRs, you should choose software with fully customizable OKR ownership.&nbsp;<blockquote>The ability to create depth without complication is the sign of a great OKR platform.</blockquote>Whether it’s collaboration, task management, or alignment-dedicated tools, OKR software should leave you feeling in control of your creation and management process.&nbsp;<a href="https://quantive.com/solutions/results/okrs-for-enterprise" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">OKR software specifically aimed at enterprises</a> can go even further in-depth to support collaboration, <a href="https://quantive.com/resources/articles/cross-functional-collaboration" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">cross-functional</a> OKRs, and automation at scale.<h3>Checklist for OKR creation and management</h3><ul><li>Can the software support a variety of cycles and sessions?&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><ul><li>Can the software align different OKR cadences?&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><ul><li>Does the software support dynamic OKR levels?&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><ul><li>Does the software offer <a href="https://marketplace.gtmhub.com/marketplace/okrs-examples?currentPage=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">OKR templates?</a>&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><ul><li>Does the software enable shared team ownership and collaboration?&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><ul><li>Are there built-in best practice tools that guide your OKR creation?&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><ul><li>Can the software support a full alignment view?&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><ul><li>Does the software come with built-in task management?&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><ul><li>Does the software give you search and filter capabilities?&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><h3>Enterprise checklist for OKR creation and management</h3><ul><li>Does the software offer cascaded key results?&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><ul><li>Can the OKR platform automate repetitive tasks?&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><ul><li>Can the platform integrate with other technology systems to automate <a href="https://quantive.com/resources/articles/okrs-vs-kpis" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">OKR and KPI</a> updates?</li></ul><hr>

Creating and managing OKRs is just the start of a successful OKR transformation.&nbsp;<a href="https://quantive.com/resources/articles/how-to-implement-okrs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Getting teams to engage with OKRs</a> is the greatest challenge of any implementation, and the best OKR software tailors itself to promoting organization-wide engagement.&nbsp;<blockquote>Software makes OKRs more approachable, from managing day-to-day work like projects and tasks, to features that connect that work with your greater OKR strategy.&nbsp;</blockquote>Tagging OKR or KR owners, sharing in-line commentary with updates, viewing how OKRs align hierarchically — these are just a few examples of how software helps you do the &nbsp;OKR work.&nbsp;Having the ability to customize and expand work options for your operations can help support engagement. Be sure to examine the execution-focused capabilities of the platform to see how they support alignment and ease of collaboration.&nbsp;These options ensure your teams aren’t inhibited in how they choose to do their work, whether it’s alone or with others.&nbsp;<h3>Checklist for OKR work capabilities</h3><ul><li>Does the software have a built-in collaboration tool (i.e. Whiteboards, project boards, tasks, etc.)?&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><ul><li>Can the OKR platform automate repetitive tasks?&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><h3>Enterprise checklist for OKR work capabilities</h3><ul><li>Does the software offer project boards and tasks?&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><ul><li>Can the software align tasks with OKRs?&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><ul><li>Does the software support bulk OKR actions?</li></ul><hr>

OKR software should provide an overview of your performance to show how effectively your organization runs the OKR process.&nbsp;<blockquote>OKR-related reports illuminate what issues have occurred and where, helping you identify performance problems or trends that need further investigation. &nbsp;</blockquote>For technical capabilities, look for hands-off <a href="https://quantive.com/resources/articles/okr-tracking" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">okr tracking</a> and full use of your data reporting. Data access and transparency are critical for building a results-focused culture committed to adaptation and improvement.&nbsp;Enterprises should note the OKR software’s extensibility in advanced reporting and tracking. Manual updates can cost your enterprise thousands of input hours per quarter — the right enterprise software saves you time in all the right places.<h3>Checklist for OKR tracking and reporting</h3><ul><li>Does the software enable alerts and notifications?&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><ul><li>Does the software offer real-time progress reports?&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><ul><li>Can you customize your reports?</li></ul><hr><h3>Enterprise checklist for OKR tracking and reporting</h3><ul><li>Can you export data and download reports as CSV or PDF files?&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><ul><li>Does the OKR software support dynamic key results?&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><ul><li>Does the software offer <a href="https://quantive.com/resources/articles/okrs-vs-kpis" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">KPI tracking?&nbsp;</a></li></ul><hr><ul><li>Does the software offer advanced reporting on performance and benchmarks?</li></ul><hr>

OKR software should enable proper management of users, profiles, and access to OKR-related data to eliminate security threats and minimize human error. &nbsp;Customizable organization management is the first step in understanding who is doing what in your organization. Assigning roles, adjusting permissions, and tracking changes are basic features you should find in any OKR software.&nbsp;<blockquote>From general activity to authorizations and permissions, proper organization management capabilities simplify how you organize your people and process. &nbsp;</blockquote>Permissions allow level-based access to certain features, data, and other information. This keeps the noise out of places where you don’t need it. Authorizations ensure any human input into your software is tracked, managed, and as a result, fully accounted for.&nbsp;Enterprises should take note of how permission and authorization-based capabilities change depending on the demands and scale of the software.<h3>Checklist for OKR user and organization management</h3><ul><li>Does the software offer an effective user account management capability?&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><ul><li>How long does the software keep a history of user activity?&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><ul><li>Does the OKR software offer role-based user permissions?&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><ul><li>Does the OKR software track the change history of user authorizations?&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><h3>Enterprise checklist for OKR user and organization management</h3><ul><li>Can the OKR software automate user and organization management?&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><ul><li>Does the OKR software lose any capabilities or show limitations at scale?&nbsp;</li></ul><hr>

Whatever process you design, someone will forget about it. That’s why <a href="https://quantive.com/products/results/integrations" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">integrations</a> are an indicator of a mature OKR software, so you can use:&nbsp;<ul><li>Data to understand what’s happening to inform decision making</li><li>Automation to offload human activity to achieve more with less effort&nbsp;</li></ul>No matter your current tech stack, OKR software should be adaptable in incorporating your unique set of applications and programs into its platform. It’s critical for your future OKR implementation that OKR software supports your process, instead of inhibiting it.&nbsp;<blockquote>OKR software should help you close the strategy execution gap by automating data-based metrics and repetitive tasks.</blockquote>Not every OKR software is going to have all the integrations you need. However, you should check to see how frequently new integrations are being added and what the requirements are for custom integrations.&nbsp;Enterprises should consider the selection of integrations, where there’s room for adaptation, and how these adaptations will enable your organization to be more successful with OKRs.<h3>Checklist for OKR integrations</h3><ul><li>Does the OKR platform offer core integrations like Slack and MS Teams?</li></ul><hr><ul><li>Does the software have a full-featured mobile app?&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><ul><li>Does the OKR platform offer a continually growing library of out-of-the-box integrations?&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><h3>Enterprise checklist for OKR integrations</h3><ul><li>Does the OKR software provide API for integration with existing business applications and workflows?&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><ul><li>Does the OKR software have extensive integrations for unique departmental functions?&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><ul><li>Can the OKR software rapidly add new integrations to meet your evolving needs?</li></ul><hr>&nbsp;

Software deployment is rarely a plug-and-play event and as you go through the implementation process you want to ensure the platform is rolled out well to all end users. Your software vendor should consciously tailor the experience to your needs through their <a href="https://quantive.com/products/services-and-support" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">services and support options.</a>&nbsp;Service and support features will vary based on your cloud strategy, compliance frameworks, and OKR platform requirements.&nbsp;Stellar support and SLA (Service Level Agreement) commitments can turn an overall great OKR software into the right one for your business. They can de-risk performance concerns and strengthen the relationship between you and the OKR software vendor.&nbsp;<blockquote>Enterprise-ready OKR software bolsters service and support capabilities through a customer success and technical success team.&nbsp;</blockquote>The customer success function is the team for your team — dedicated to successful deployment and effective use of the platform. &nbsp;The technical success function guides enterprises throughout the &nbsp;OKR software journey, from onboarding, through adoption, to continued use of the platform.<h3>Checklist for OKR services and support</h3><ul><li>Does the OKR software provide a user help center?</li></ul><hr><ul><li>Does the OKR software aid your OKR learning experience?&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><ul><li>Does the OKR software offer at least 99.99% SLA uptime?&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><ul><li>Does the OKR software vendor provide a standard support function?&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><h3>Enterprise checklist for OKR services and support</h3><ul><li>Does the OKR software vendor provide your enterprise with 24/7 support?&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><ul><li>Does the OKR software vendor have a customer success team?&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><ul><li>Does the OKR software offer at least 99.95% enterprise SLA uptime?&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><ul><li>Will the vendor provide a dedicated account manager?&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><ul><li>Does the OKR vendor provide in-house technical success support for onboarding?&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><ul><li>Can the technical success team translate your requirements into custom solutions?</li></ul><hr>

As your organization looks to scale, security grows in priority. Your OKR software should be conscious of the unique stresses and challenges your organization will face as it grows.&nbsp;User management and authentication, for example, are the core focus for enterprise security.&nbsp;<blockquote>Administrators must be able to easily control access to the software for things like onboarding and offboarding users, dictating a directory service for authentication, and authorizing/ auditing user access. &nbsp;</blockquote>Whether you’re an SMB, scale-up, or enterprise, the ability to manage up to millions of users effectively and securely should be on your checklist.&nbsp;Check out our <a href="https://quantive.com/products/privacy-security" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">full guide on IT and security</a> as a reference for your OKR software buying journey.<h3>Checklist for OKR security</h3><ul><li>Does the software let you choose different user and account-level languages?</li></ul><hr><ul><li>Does the OKR software provide SSO authentication?&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><ul><li>Does the OKR software offer stronger means of authentication than login &amp; password?</li></ul><hr><ul><li>Does the OKR software support the most popular SSO integrations?&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><ul><li>Does the OKR software support account lockout?&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><ul><li>Does the OKR software encrypt the data contained in the database?&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><ul><li>Have the security controls of the OKR software been audited by a third-party auditor for security?&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><ul><li>Are the OKR software’s data centers compliant with the most rigorous security standards like ISO (27001 &amp; 22301) and SOC (1 &amp; 2)?&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><ul><li>Is the OKR software SOC2 Type II compliant?&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><ul><li>Is the OKR software GDPR compliant?&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><ul><li>Does the software vendor have data centers in more than one location?&nbsp;</li></ul><hr><ul><li>Does the software vendor conduct penetration tests?</li></ul><hr>

Before you dive into your exploration, these final tips will keep you grounded in choosing the best OKR software for your startup, SMB, or enterprise:&nbsp;<ol><li>Don’t let surface-level impressions be the extent of your research. Test the OKR platform yourself.&nbsp;</li><li>If you don’t have time to test each software, organize demo calls. Count the clicks needed to perform an action and understand where the platform places emphasis.</li><li>Be specific about your needs. However, no vendor is perfect and you may have to take ‘no’ for some answers. But appreciate the honesty if the vendor is transparent — this speaks to their integrity.</li><li>Check out customer reviews. The truth about the platform experience is usually embedded in them.</li><li>Don’t rush into a decision and be certain. At the same time, make room for mistakes. A growth mindset is what OKRs are all about.&nbsp;</li></ol>

Quantive empowers modern organizations to turn their ambitions into reality through strategic agility. It's where strategy, teams, and data come together to drive effective decision-making, streamline execution, and maximize performance.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;As your company navigates today’s competitive landscape, you need an Always-On Strategy to continuously bridge the gap between current and desired business outcomes. Quantive brings together the technology, expertise, and passion to transform your strategy and playbooks from a static formulation to a feedback-driven engine for growth.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Whether you’re a fast-growing scale-up, a mid-market business looking to conquer, or a large enterprise looking for innovation, Quantive keeps you ahead – every step of the way. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.quantive.com/">www.quantive.com</a>.&nbsp;

Unleash the Power of OKRs for Your Business

Buyer's Guide: How to Choose the Right OKR Software for Your Business

Strategy execution is a complex undertaking for any organization. Between the foundational definition of strategy to its never-ending adaptation, organizations are stuck on “how” exactly to master strategy execution.&nbsp;<blockquote>Maybe this is your organization — you know the answer to this challenge is far more nuanced than “create a better strategy” or “execute better.” But where do you start?</blockquote>This is where a great strategy execution platform can be a game changer for your organization. A strategy execution platform can be the missing solution businesses worldwide use to create a mission-driven strategy, engage teams, and deliver better strategic outcomes at scale.&nbsp;A strategy execution management platform gives your organization a seamless approach to plan, align, execute, and assess strategy across your business.This article shows you how the right strategy execution platform will help your teams develop a proactive, outcome-driven approach.&nbsp;

Before we get into strategy execution management platforms, let's do a refresh on the basics. Strategy execution is how <a href="https://quantive.com/resources/articles/ai-for-decision-making" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">decision-making</a> and team inputs align with the strategic priorities of an organization. &nbsp;&nbsp;In other words:&nbsp;<blockquote>“Strategy is a living, breathing entity, not an A-to-Z journey, meaning the process doesn’t end just because it’s been executed. Strategy must be optimized, which informs a refreshed cycle of definition, deployment, and execution.” &nbsp;</blockquote>It’s about meeting goals on time, on target, and on budget — no component of strategy execution can be neglected.<hr>Learn more about the <a href="https://quantive.com/resources/articles/strategy-execution" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">strategy execution process</a><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><a href="https://quantive.com/resources/articles/strategy-execution" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/gtmhub/image/upload/v1670611665/site-v5/4_stages_of_successful_strategy_execution_1c658351c6.png" alt="4 stages of successful strategy execution.png"></a></figure><hr>

While strategies differ from company to company, there are four key components in creating a <a href="https://hbr.org/2008/06/the-secrets-to-successful-strategy-execution" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">successful strategy execution</a> process:&nbsp;<ol style="list-style-type:decimal;"><li><a href="https://quantive.com/products/results/plan" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Plan:</a> Create an informed, outcome-driven strategy</li><li><a href="https://quantive.com/products/results/align-and-activate" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Align &amp; Activate:</a> Connected decision-making with clear definitions of success</li><li><a href="https://quantive.com/products/results/execute" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Execute:</a> Enable seamless, mission-focused collaboration</li><li><a href="https://quantive.com/products/results/assess-and-adapt" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Assess &amp; Adapt:</a> Know what works, what doesn’t, and make changes quickly</li></ol><a href="https://quantive.com/resources/articles/strategy-development" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Planning the strategy</a> is about determining your organization’s direction, while alignment and activation are the tactical setups for bridging strategy to execution. Executing, assessing, and adapting strategy maintains a connection between teams and decision-makers, continuously improving each level of strategy. &nbsp;<hr>See how top companies close the <a href="https://quantive.com/resources/articles/strategy-execution-gap" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">strategy execution gap</a><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><a href="https://quantive.com/resources/articles/strategy-execution-gap" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/gtmhub/image/upload/v1670611665/site-v5/close_strategy_execution_gap_8de6ba8e73.png" alt="close strategy execution gap.png"></a></figure><hr>

<a href="https://quantive.com/products/results" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">A strategy execution management platform</a> enables your organization to focus on the right goals while giving your teams the freedom to execute.As a leader, you know strategy doesn’t just fall into place. There are too many moving parts, like:<ul><li>Resource allocation</li><li>Corporate, business, and functional tasks</li><li>Assigning roles, responsibilities, and deadlines</li><li>Establishing priorities</li><li>Managing changes, challenges, problems, and solutions</li><li>Measuring success</li><li>Tracking progress</li><li>Using data to inform decision making</li></ul>Your challenges aren't single-minded — neither is the right software when it comes to its capabilities. You must be able to manage all the moving parts of strategy execution in a single platform.&nbsp;<blockquote>By incorporating the power of your data and promoting transparency, a strategy execution platform taps into the full potential of your organization.</blockquote>

Strategy execution software is a business tool designed to implement and manage organizational strategies. It's a centralized platform for planning, monitoring, and executing strategic initiatives using goal-setting, performance tracking, and real-time reporting features. As such, they help you align resources, projects, and activities toward strategic objectives, enabling informed decision-making, roadblock identification, and effective strategic strides toward your end goal.

Between the four strategy execution components — plan, align and activate, execute, assess and adapt — there are grey areas that can lead to strategic disconnection.&nbsp;<blockquote>A strategy execution platform reduces friction and fills in the <a href="https://quantive.com/resources/articles/strategy-execution-gap" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">strategic gaps</a> to prevent this disconnect. &nbsp;</blockquote>Anyone can plan a strategy, but creating a strategy aligned with your organization’s priorities requires visibility and transparency. Leaders can cascade a strategy down to teams, but without a strategy execution platform engaging employees through a shared purpose, the strategy will lack impact.Finally, let’s not forget data, the buzzword everyone likes to talk about. Strategy execution software doesn’t just collect data — it transforms it into actionable insights without the hassle and inaccuracy of manual inputs.&nbsp;Even when strategy is executed, the world is in constant flux. The right platform helps you watch internal and external signals and act on them.

The right strategy execution platform should deliver on all components of strategy execution.&nbsp;<h3><a href="https://quantive.com/products/results/plan" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Plan</a></h3>Break down silos in the strategy creation process and plan openly with a strategy execution management platform.&nbsp;<blockquote>With the strategy visible to the entire organization, it can be critiqued and validated before it’s deployed, saving your organization from resource waste.&nbsp;</blockquote>A strategy execution platform also incorporates your data into your strategic planning, infusing your strategy with rich insights for an informed and impactful approach.<h3><a href="https://quantive.com/products/results/align-and-activate" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Align and activate</a></h3>A platform lets you consolidate your data and access it at any time.&nbsp;<blockquote>Through a data-first approach, you can coordinate teams on metrics and develop outcome-focused contributions.&nbsp;</blockquote>When everyone is aligned on outcomes through your strategy execution management platform, you can create connections between teams and ensure measurements of success are clear.&nbsp;<h3><a href="https://quantive.com/products/results/execute" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Execute</a></h3>Because strategy execution platforms focus and align teams on desired outcomes, transparency and trust pave the way to value adds from every team member.&nbsp;<blockquote>Beyond enhancing team culture, a platform bolsters decision making through data-driven feedback.&nbsp;</blockquote>Bring clarity on what’s creating true impact and ensure consistency in execution using a strategy execution management platform.&nbsp;<h3><a href="https://quantive.com/products/results/assess-and-adapt" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Assess and adapt</a></h3>With a strategy execution platform, feedback loops are compressed through real-time key results and KPIs.&nbsp;<blockquote>Supported by your data, a strategy execution platform helps you monitor progress and shift resources to the tactics driving the right outcomes.&nbsp;</blockquote>You can pivot when you need to, focus on what’s working, and do it faster all through the convenience of a platform.&nbsp;

In a world that shifts daily, the ability to pivot strategy without friction is a distinct competitive advantage. A strategy execution management platform <a href="https://quantive.com/products/results/integrations" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">integrates your data</a> seamlessly applies it to your decision making and drives an outcome focus for your organization.&nbsp;<blockquote>Your strategy execution process must adapt to the modern era, or it will fail.</blockquote>With these capabilities, you can ensure your strategy execution process isn’t operating in the past. By reducing friction, inefficiency, and disharmony, strategic planning software can help your organization achieve the best results possible.&nbsp;<hr>Check out our “Read Next” article to learn <a href="https://quantive.com/resources/articles/why-strategy-execution-platform" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">why it’s time for your company</a> to integrate a strategy execution management platform<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><a href="https://quantive.com/resources/articles/why-strategy-execution-platform" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/gtmhub/image/upload/v1670611665/site-v5/why_you_need_a_Strategy_Execution_Platform_9b52b7e54f.png" alt="why you need a Strategy Execution Platform.png"></a></figure><hr>Quantive empowers modern organizations to turn their ambitions into reality through strategic agility. It's where strategy, teams, and data come together to drive effective decision-making, streamline execution, and maximize performance.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;As your company navigates today’s competitive landscape, you need an Always-On Strategy to continuously bridge the gap between current and desired business outcomes. Quantive brings together the technology, expertise, and passion to transform your strategy and playbooks from a static formulation to a feedback-driven engine for growth.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Whether you’re a fast-growing scale-up, a mid-market business looking to conquer, or a large enterprise looking for innovation, Quantive keeps you ahead – every step of the way. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.quantive.com/">www.quantive.com</a>.&nbsp;

Why Your Company Needs a Strategy Execution Platform

What is Strategy Execution Software? How A Strategy Execution Platform Can Help Your Company

An operating model drives value creation and strategy execution across an organization. It represents the guiding principles of operations: how different parts of a business should work together to deliver value to&nbsp;customers and stakeholders. It also encompasses how an organization functions to meet core business objectives such as efficiency, growth, and adaptability. Organization structure, culture, processes, technology and decision-making procedures are key parts of an operating model.&nbsp;&nbsp;In the modern era, several factors impact&nbsp;how we think about conventional operating models:&nbsp;<ul><li>The lingering strategy execution gap &nbsp;</li><li>A fast-changing world across all dimensions of life &nbsp;</li><li>The fourth industrial revolution, the wealth of data and its application&nbsp;</li></ul>Considering these factors, an&nbsp;updated, modern operating model is needed to solve the lingering strategy execution gap and unlock the opportunities of an evolving world. In this article, we’re going to outline what the Modern Operating Model looks like. For detailed information on the context, challenges solved, and the opportunities of the Modern Operating Model, we will be releasing a second part to this article.

There are five core components that make up the Modern Operating Model, each with different parts within.&nbsp;<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/gtmhub/image/upload/v1669894628/site-v5/visual_mom_detailed_5ca196388d.svg" alt="Modern Operating Model diagram"><h4>&nbsp;1) Define the destination&nbsp;</h4>Your <a href="https://quantive.com/resources/articles/mission-vs-vision#mission-and-vision-statements,-defined" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">mission, cultural values, vision</a>, and strategy work together to act as a north star for your organization. This sets the destination and goals that your organization needs to align towards.&nbsp;<h4>2) Change the business&nbsp;</h4>Strategic objectives, <a href="https://quantive.com/resources/articles/okr-meaning" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">OKRs</a>, and planning the work quantify and make reaching your destination a tangible proposition. They create alignment, structure, and focus to maximize efficiency, speed, and productive power toward your goals.&nbsp;<h4>3) Run the business &nbsp;</h4>Observability of KPI’s through a connected technology stack in addition to OKR reporting gives you powerful insights into what’s happening inside the business, in addition to progress toward goals. &nbsp;<h4>4) Do the work&nbsp;</h4>With the organization aligned, the plan is executed through daily work. Proper alignment through organization architecture, culture, and a clear line of sight between strategy and execution empowers your employees to do their best work.&nbsp;<h4>5) Assess &amp; adapt &nbsp;</h4>Through continuous monitoring, data-driven decisions are made to incrementally optimize, navigate threats, and seize opportunities. Strong top-down alignment liberates your organization to adapt quickly and move as one.&nbsp;Although there’s a chronological logic to the Modern Operating Model, all components of the Modern Operating Model work together in a feedback loop and need to be engaged simultaneously as an ongoing discipline. Let’s now dive into the different components of the Modern Operating Model and their corresponding parts in more detail.&nbsp;

Correctly defining the destination impacts alignment. At the highest level, defining your destination is about where you want to go, why you want to go there, what needs to be done, and how you will do it. If there’s a disconnect between how your team sees the bigger picture, conflict, erosion of trust, and misaligned execution may emerge.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h5>Defining the destination can be broken down into three core parts:&nbsp;</h5><ol><li>Mission and cultural values&nbsp;</li><li>Vision&nbsp;</li><li>Strategy&nbsp;</li></ol><h3>Mission and cultural values&nbsp;</h3><a href="https://quantive.com/resources/articles/mission-vs-vision" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mission</a> and cultural values play a role in alignment as everyone in your organization needs to approach their work from the same perspective. Otherwise, there will be a disconnect at the execution layer of the organization. For instance, having a common philosophy that prioritizes customer satisfaction over short term revenue will lead to different behaviors and decisions from your team.&nbsp;&nbsp;Mission and cultural values also affect engagement, especially in the context of a new generation of workers. Generation Z and Millennial workers aspire to work at organizations that have a greater purpose and more conscious culture. Failure to align your mission and culture with these changing attitudes means you may reduce employee engagement — another key part of effective strategy execution. As these generations value company loyalty less, you may also risk losing key personnel which leads to other execution challenges.&nbsp;<h3>Vision&nbsp;</h3>Like with mission and cultural values, your <a href="https://quantive.com/resources/articles/mission-vs-vision" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">vision</a> is important for alignment. Your whole team needs to see the future in the same way to <a href="https://quantive.com/resources/articles/okrs-for-employee-engagement" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">maximize engagement</a> and work in synchronization. Vision also has an impact on priorities and strategic focus. A clear idea of your destination means you can make better decisions about the relevant work that needs to be done, take advantage of the right opportunities, and importantly, not become side tracked along the way.&nbsp;<hr>Learn the key differences and similarities of <a href="https://quantive.com/resources/articles/mission-vs-vision" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">mission vs. vision</a><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><a href="https://quantive.com/resources/articles/mission-vs-vision" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/gtmhub/image/upload/v1679576222/site-v5/mission_vs_vision_4831a60599.png" alt="A green flag with hollow filling placed to the left of an outline of an eye, with the iris also outlined in green, all on a green background, to signal mission vs. vision"></a></figure><hr><h3>Strategy&nbsp;</h3>Your <a href="https://quantive.com/resources/articles/business-strategy" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">strategy</a> is the first tangible link between defining your destination and generating the momentum to get there. Your strategy represents why, what, and how your company will navigate at the highest level and informs how you set strategic objectives and OKRs, which play key roles in the next component of the Modern Operating Model.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The next component of the model is changing and aligning the business. Changing the business is about deciding on the initiatives and goals you want to focus on to reach your destination. <a href="https://quantive.com/resources/articles/organizational-alignment" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Good organizational alignment</a> is about getting the whole organization in sync and moving in the same direction.&nbsp;<h5>Proper organizational alignment improves strategy execution through:&nbsp;</h5><ul><li>Greater efficiency: working on the right things means less waste in the form of time and resources&nbsp;</li><li>Higher engagement: having a clear line of sight between strategic objectives and daily execution means employees can see how their work impacts the organization</li><li>Prioritization and focus: alignment means the whole team focuses on the objectives and activities that are mission critical</li></ul>Alignment plays an important role in organizational adaptability. If there are any big changes or shocks to the business, your organization needs to be able to move together as one unit. If parts of your organization are misaligned, they may lag behind if your destination changes which can lead to operational roadblocks. In addition, the megatrends of <a href="https://quantive.com/resources/articles/hybrid-work">remote and flexible work</a> mean getting alignment right has become more difficult due to a more distributed, asynchronous, and multi-cultural workforce.&nbsp;&nbsp;Alignment starts with clear top-down communication about the destination and what needs to be done to get there. This is achieved through setting strategic objectives and OKRs, in addition to careful planning of how your team will execute the work.&nbsp;<h3>Strategic objectives and OKRs&nbsp;&nbsp;</h3>The first part of aligning the business is setting and communicating strategic objectives and OKRs. In many cases, the communication of strategy can get lost as it filters through the multiple layers of the organization. This is made worse due to strategy being more abstract and high-level, with language that may not be easily understood by the execution layer of the organization.&nbsp;&nbsp;Strategy without objectives is meaningless — it needs to be clarified, quantified, and plotted against a timeline. This is what strategic objectives enable — they break down your strategy into tangible goals that can be easily communicated and worked toward as a team. &nbsp;With strategic objectives set and communicated, your organization can then set OKRs (<a href="https://quantive.com/resources/articles/okr-meaning">objectives and key results</a>). These break down your strategic objectives even further by quantifying the specific outcomes different parts of the organization need to achieve. These also need to be communicated across the organization to ensure alignment. Where strategic objectives work on a yearly or multi-year timeline, tactical OKRs function on a quarterly or yearly basis. &nbsp;<h5>Strategic objectives and OKRs impact strategy execution by:&nbsp;</h5><ul><li>Plotting ambitious yet achievable goals to stretch the team’s capabilities while preserving morale.&nbsp;</li><li>Creating vertical alignment so everybody is working toward strategic objectives.&nbsp;</li><li>Enabling horizontal alignment so interdependencies between departments can be mapped out, increasing collaboration.&nbsp;</li><li>Boosting efficiency, engagement, prioritization, and focus through bottom-up involvement in goal setting.&nbsp;</li><li>Creating an outcome focused organization as opposed to activity which doesn’t generate results.&nbsp;</li></ul><hr>Learn more about <a href="/resources/articles/okrs-in-business" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the benefits of OKRs for businesses</a><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><a href="/resources/articles/okrs-in-business" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/gtmhub/image/upload/v1670703147/site-v5/OK_Rs_for_business_656a5f0108.png" alt="OKRs for business.png"></a></figure><hr><h3>Planning the work&nbsp;</h3>With strategic objectives and OKRs set and communicated, planning the governance and execution of work is next.&nbsp;<h5>A few things to consider during this phase are:&nbsp;</h5><ul><li>Culture design: Your operational culture must be transparent, continuously learning, and braced for constant transformation. This enables effective use of the OKR method and continuous adaptations. At the leadership level, there must be a shift from control and compliance to trust and transparency.&nbsp;</li><li>Organization architecture: Your organization structure needs to be adaptable to account for asynchronous, remote, and flexible ways of working.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>Policies and procedures: Decision making should be made at the edge of the network — closer to the source of data and point of execution, as opposed to centrally. In the modern era, there’s no longer time to go up and down the chain of command to make decisions. Greater communication and transparency efforts need to be pushed to eliminate information silos and shadow organizations.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>Playbooks and processes: Mapping out the strategies and tactics of the work to be done.&nbsp;</li><li>People: Deciding who will be doing what.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>Tools: Choosing the right software tools to enable work. With the Modern Operating Model, special emphasis is placed on connecting all your data sources for better observability and assessment.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>Resource allocation: Setting budgets appropriately to meet different OKRs.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>Programs and initiatives: Organizing work at a high level in conjunction with strategic objectives and OKRs. &nbsp;</li><li>Approaches to work: Deciding on how work will be carried out with task management, workflows, projects, sprints, etc.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li></ul>Effective work planning increases the efficiency of your strategy execution. Conducting work in the right manner means time and resources are saved through error reduction, in addition to faster and better work outputs.&nbsp;&nbsp;

As work is conducted, there needs to be continuous monitoring of both data and information. In a Modern Operating Model, monitoring incorporates and goes beyond traditional management check-ins and annual and quarterly performance reviews. KPIs are gathered from all parts of the business in addition to the application of the OKR method. Working in conjunction, <a href="https://quantive.com/resources/articles/okrs-vs-kpis">OKRs and KPIs</a> create a more powerful picture of what’s happening in the business and how it affects progress toward strategic goals.&nbsp;&nbsp;As part of the internal monitoring aspect of The Modern Operating Model, KPIs are pulled from a connected technology stack to provide <a href="https://quantive.com/products/signals">business observability</a>. With the right tools, you can sync your KPIs to continuously update alongside your OKRs, in addition to gaining insight about potential risks and opportunities. To add to this, OKRs provide quantitative data in the form of key results and confidence assessments toward meeting objectives. They also provide qualitative information in the form of weekly OKR reviews and quarterly retrospectives.&nbsp;&nbsp;<hr>Learn more about <a href="https://quantive.com/resources/articles/okr-cycle" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">OKR reviews and retrospectives</a><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><a href="https://quantive.com/resources/articles/okr-cycle" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/gtmhub/image/upload/v1670611666/site-v5/The_OKR_Cycle_999afeea92.png" alt="The OKR Cycle.png"></a></figure><hr>External monitoring is also a necessary part of the Modern Operating Model. This involves constant surveillance of your business environment to identify changes, threats, and opportunities. This could be in the form of <a href="/resources/articles/modern-operating-model-manifesto#new-trends-impacting-the-strategy-execution-gap" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">understanding megatrends</a> such as the next wave digitization or keeping tabs on startups that could potentially disrupt your space.&nbsp;Together, internal and external monitoring are used to compress learning feedback loops and boost business observability, which can then be used to make more accurate decisions about changes and adaptations to your strategy execution.&nbsp;

The next component of the model is doing the work. At the surface level, this involves the basics of completing tasks, inputs, transformations, and outputs. But under the Modern Operating Model, the essence of how the work is done is different.&nbsp;<h5>When applied correctly, the ideal state of work should look like this:&nbsp;</h5><ul><li>Fully engaged employees who expend discretionary effort to improve their craft and solve problems.&nbsp;</li><li>Collaboration and communication between teams to work toward common objectives.&nbsp;</li><li>Continuous learning and feedback based on regular OKR reviews and KPI observability.&nbsp;</li><li>Greater ownership and accountability of work through transparency.&nbsp;</li><li>Decisions made locally in a data-driven way.&nbsp;</li><li>Greater focus on outcomes, as opposed to tasks and activities.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>More experimentation and embracing failure.&nbsp;</li><li>Recognition and reward based on merit and adherence to company values.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li></ul>Although this ideal state of work doesn’t happen overnight, the components of the Modern Operating Model are designed to optimize your strategy execution over time, bringing this ideal closer to reality over time.&nbsp;<hr>Learn about the intersection between <a href="https://quantive.com/resources/articles/okr-and-agile" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">OKRs and agile methodologies</a><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><a href="https://quantive.com/resources/articles/okr-and-agile" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/gtmhub/image/upload/v1670611666/site-v5/OK_Rs_and_Agile_3dd7e4cb90.png" alt="OKRs &amp; Agile.png"></a></figure><hr>

With the right data and information through business monitoring, assessments can be made to adapt strategy execution to help you stay the course. The process of assessing and adapting involves looking at the data and information you have collected, extracting the insights and narrative, and turning them into knowledge which can be used for decision making.&nbsp;&nbsp;At the macro level, the purpose of this component is to help you navigate the threats and opportunities of a fast-changing world. This means you may need to make changes to your destination and how to get there at a strategic level. In addition to the points mentioned above, these could include navigating changing economic, political and social conditions, adapting to innovation, and ESG (environment, social, and governance) concerns.&nbsp;&nbsp;At the micro level, you want to assess and adjust your strategy execution for:&nbsp;<ul><li>Overall effectiveness: Optimizing the different components of the Modern Operating Model such as how work is done.&nbsp;</li><li>Progress towards OKRs: Looking at key results metrics for each objective and uncovering the reasons for possible underperformance. Deciding whether the OKRs set are still relevant in terms of achievability and being critical to current strategic objectives.&nbsp;</li><li>Internal warning signs: Gaining insight and foresight, as opposed to hindsight, about operational problems through AI and KPI data. This could be technical issues such as servers going down or business challenges such as a high churn rate among a customer demographic.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>Internal opportunities: Spotting patterns and trends to map out new opportunities. For instance, looking at customer support data to identify unmet or emerging customer needs.&nbsp;</li></ul>As adaptability is central to the Modern Operating Model, you will continuously adjust different components of your strategy execution based on the data and information you collect. You may only need to make small changes to a work tactic, for instance, or realize there is one threat or opportunity you need to focus on. But as time progresses and the business environment changes, you may need to adjust at the strategic level. Full adaptiveness of strategy execution at both the macro and micro level is the promise of the modern operating model.&nbsp;

Optimizing your strategy execution is relevant to every company regardless of size, stage, or industry. Working together, all components of the Modern Operating Model boost alignment, focus, adaptability, and efficiency in your strategy execution.&nbsp;Through adopting the Modern Operating Model, you can better navigate the threats and opportunities of a fast-changing world, in addition to achieving your strategic goals faster. To learn more about the broader context, challenges solved, and opportunities of using the Modern Operating Model, we will be releasing a second part to this article.<hr>Quantive empowers modern organizations to turn their ambitions into reality through strategic agility. It's where strategy, teams, and data come together to drive effective decision-making, streamline execution, and maximize performance.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;As your company navigates today’s competitive landscape, you need an Always-On Strategy to continuously bridge the gap between current and desired business outcomes. Quantive brings together the technology, expertise, and passion to transform your strategy and playbooks from a static formulation to a feedback-driven engine for growth.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Whether you’re a fast-growing scale-up, a mid-market business looking to conquer, or a large enterprise looking for innovation, Quantive keeps you ahead – every step of the way. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.quantive.com/">www.quantive.com</a>.&nbsp;

What is the Modern Operating Model?

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